As the number of people being taken on by businesses rises, the survey found that 50% of employers estimate that they’ll have more staff in a year’s time. Scotland is one of the UK’s areas that is likely to see the strongest job growth.

Unemployment was particularly strong amongst young people following the economic recession. This situation is gradually changing and job prospects for young people are improving, including with apprenticeships and graduate openings. 73% of companies projected that they would have entry-level job vacancies for 16-24 year olds over the course of the next year.

Businesses have also witnessed a boost to employee morale, leading to higher productivity levels. The upcoming year is also likely to bring about changes in wages as 55% of companies that took part in the survey project to increase employee pay in 2015. This measure comes in an attempt to further increase productivity.
The main concern for recruiting companies is the skills gap, which could lead to some positions remaining unfilled. Digital skills emerged to be a sought-after requirement for candidates, as companies work on growth and development.

That said, the UK is seen to be an increasingly attractive place to invest according to 46% of firms, compared to 31% last year. Katja Hall, CBI’s Deputy Director-General commented: “The great success of the UK over the past five years has been flexibility. In total 95% of businesses believe a flexible labour market is either vital or important to the future of the UK.”
Whilst the economic downturn may still have a lasting impact, the jobs market for the upcoming year already promises to be stronger than in 2014: confidence is returning.